This will be half log/blog to track my own progress, and half an attempt at teaching the basic information/experience i have to all those who are interested. Please ask any question that you may have, about either me or any of the subjects being discussed. I hope to fill in more of the background post over the next week or so.
My Fitness/Nutrition Experience:
I have been lifting weights and tracking my nutrition for about 17 years. I have never done it professionally, but i did go to about a year of school for nutrition, if that counts for anything. I have mostly focused on bodybuilding-type lifting, rather than Olympic lifting, powerlifting, or strongman lifting, which are the other main sports involving lifting weights. I can offer very basic advice on powerlifting, but basically none of strongman and absolutely 0 on Olympic style weightlifting. I can offer advice up to the amateur level, but not for serious competitors/professionals. To put it in perspective: at my best, my stats were: Height 5'10, Weight 230lb, Bf% ~12, Bench:325, Squat:345, Deadlift:515. I did use androgenic/anabolic steroids years ago, but very lightly compared to most. I am currently on TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) because of a wide variety of reasons that i will explain eventually.
I can offer only the most basic advice about cardio (jogging, biking, etc.) and almost none about any sports.
My Experience with sleep/general physical health
I have had severe sleep insomnia for my entire life, but it has finally begun to improve in the last ~5 years or so, after a confluence of quite a variety of factors, i have had drastically improved sleep, and it has improved every other area of my life. I will fill in the details of my sleep habits later (or when asked)
Like many who are obsessed with fitness, I also have had some less healthy obsessions in my past, including drugs. In my late teens and early twenties, i tried to self medicate a variety of mental issues with opiates, benzos, and a little bit of everything else. The severe addictions also taught me a lot about physical health: both how quickly it can desert you, and more importantly, how quickly it can return if you are dedicated and consistent to respecting it and giving your body what it needs. Other than quite literally almost dying due to neglect in rehab over 10 years ago, i have been incredibly lucky (so far) with my physical health, and do my best to appreciate the miracle that that is.
My Current stats/status
Weight: ~230lb
BF%: 18-20%
I am far, far too heavy right now. My body was just not meant to carry this amount of weight, even if a good amount of it is muscle. Even years ago, when i was at this weight while much more lean, i struggled: sleep apnea, terrible cardio-always huffing and puffing, loss of flexibility, excessive sweating, and worst of all: high blood pressure from many of the aforementioned issues.
(Haven't done a 1 rep max in years)
Bench: 225lb x 6
Squat: 275 x 5
Deadlift 315 x 7
My Current Fitness Goals
I need to drop fat, at least 20lbs, both for aesthetics and for health. I am so much more comfortable and healthy feeling at ~210lb, and i know my cardiovascular health is markedly bettter in that range. Also, my midsection has lost all defintion, and has begun bloating like crazy during my heavier bulk eating; absolute aesthetics killer. So, i am beginning a "cut" (Cut: a period of decreased calorie consumption in the pursuit of loss of fat and retention of muscle. The opposite of a "Bulk Phase"- a period of consuming calories in excess of the basal metabolic rate, in an attempt to gain skeletal muscle, and, ideally, minimize fat gain.) It is essentially impossible to lose a significant amount of fat without a consistent caloric deficit, much like it is essentially impossible to gain a significant amount of weight without a consistent caloric surplus. A phase can be anywhere from 4-16 weeks, though i usually keep mine about 6-8.
For most of December and January, i was doing a "Bulk" phase, and went from about 215 to 230. I believe probably 10 of those 15lbs was muscle gain, and 5 was fat, which is a pretty decent ratio. During the bulk, i was eating around 3500-4000 calories per day, and aiming for ~250g of protein. I will be reducing that pretty substantially to 2700 calories per day during my cut, while attempting to still stay ~250g/protein day. (These numbers are not something you should be doing unless you have the same stats as me all around. Muscle mass and height play a huge role in determining intake). My strength went up a little during the bulk, but not as much as i would've liked. I will keep attempting to lift relatively heavy during the cut, but it is rare to make significant strength gains on a cut. I will have more strength-related goals once the next bulk phase begins.
I am hoping a little loss in weight will help my cardio: these days i'm struggling to run a half mile in 4 minutes. I doubt i could run much more than a mile at any pace beyond a walk. I want to be able to jog a gentle 8 minute mile relatively easily.
Random Physical Health Advice:
-#1 advice: "Diet" is not a temporary thing any more than a sleep schedule is. You are on a diet until the day you die (or maybe a couple weeks before, if you are unlucky enough to starve to death).
-#2: Just because you have never enjoyed exercise before doesnt mean that you never will
-#3: Everyone should learn to be intuitively aware of their blood sugar levels, even if they aren't diabetic. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is an incredibly common cause of anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Pay attention to how you feel after you haven't eaten in too long, not in the stomach, but in the rest of the body and mind.
-You might be surprised how great you could feel if you lived healthily. The human body can tolerate an enormous amount of punishment. It can also do miraculous things when you live in harmony with it, rather than (metaphorically) forcing a gas engine to keep chugging along on diesel fuel.
-Consistency is key. Make small changes that you can actually stick to, rather than ambitious, grandiose plans for perfection.
-Increased skeletal muscle mass increases your basal metabolic rate. (Basal Metabolic Rate: The rate at which your body burns calories at rest. Often defined in calories per day) Therefore, the more muscle you have, the more food you can eat without gaining fat. Dont fall for the myth that you need to survive on nothing but salad as a physically fit person; there is plenty of room for pizza, burgers, pasta, and cake in a healthy diet.
-A very small amount of over-indulging can add up to quite a lot of weight over time. Counting calories sounds laborious, but it is nearly impossible to be fully aware of your intake without doing so. Counting calories should not take more than 5 minutes per meal, and can quickly become as quick as 1 minute per meal, with experience.
-Unless circumstances are dire, change one variable at a time, whether it relates to diet, or sleep. If you change your meds at the same time as you change your diet, you'll never know what to attribute certain effects to.
-"Lean mass" is defined as everything that is not fat. This includes bloat/water weight. Don't forget this when interpreting academic reports. Don't equate "lean mass" to "muscle".
-Diet is unique and personalized. Don't copy peoples' routines and expect to get the exact same results, find what works best for you through trial and error.
-The body is ever changing, a million chaotic variables all in a system together: though consitent systems are good, what works for you one day may not work another. Learn to tune into the frequency of what your body needs and not what your brain wants. It is very valuable to be able to care for your body in unforeseen circumstances.
-Fruit can have good nutrients, but it's also loaded with sugar. And, despite it seeming counterintuitive, the type of sugar it is, fructose, is actually one of the most highly damaging sugars. Most vegetables, on the other hand, have almost no downsides (with reasonable consumption)
I will eventually include more details, including my lifting split/details, and some of my nutrition/macros, and maybe some pictures to track physique progress, if it seems appropriate
My Fitness/Nutrition Experience:
I have been lifting weights and tracking my nutrition for about 17 years. I have never done it professionally, but i did go to about a year of school for nutrition, if that counts for anything. I have mostly focused on bodybuilding-type lifting, rather than Olympic lifting, powerlifting, or strongman lifting, which are the other main sports involving lifting weights. I can offer very basic advice on powerlifting, but basically none of strongman and absolutely 0 on Olympic style weightlifting. I can offer advice up to the amateur level, but not for serious competitors/professionals. To put it in perspective: at my best, my stats were: Height 5'10, Weight 230lb, Bf% ~12, Bench:325, Squat:345, Deadlift:515. I did use androgenic/anabolic steroids years ago, but very lightly compared to most. I am currently on TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) because of a wide variety of reasons that i will explain eventually.
I can offer only the most basic advice about cardio (jogging, biking, etc.) and almost none about any sports.
My Experience with sleep/general physical health
I have had severe sleep insomnia for my entire life, but it has finally begun to improve in the last ~5 years or so, after a confluence of quite a variety of factors, i have had drastically improved sleep, and it has improved every other area of my life. I will fill in the details of my sleep habits later (or when asked)
Like many who are obsessed with fitness, I also have had some less healthy obsessions in my past, including drugs. In my late teens and early twenties, i tried to self medicate a variety of mental issues with opiates, benzos, and a little bit of everything else. The severe addictions also taught me a lot about physical health: both how quickly it can desert you, and more importantly, how quickly it can return if you are dedicated and consistent to respecting it and giving your body what it needs. Other than quite literally almost dying due to neglect in rehab over 10 years ago, i have been incredibly lucky (so far) with my physical health, and do my best to appreciate the miracle that that is.
My Current stats/status
Weight: ~230lb
BF%: 18-20%
I am far, far too heavy right now. My body was just not meant to carry this amount of weight, even if a good amount of it is muscle. Even years ago, when i was at this weight while much more lean, i struggled: sleep apnea, terrible cardio-always huffing and puffing, loss of flexibility, excessive sweating, and worst of all: high blood pressure from many of the aforementioned issues.
(Haven't done a 1 rep max in years)
Bench: 225lb x 6
Squat: 275 x 5
Deadlift 315 x 7
My Current Fitness Goals
I need to drop fat, at least 20lbs, both for aesthetics and for health. I am so much more comfortable and healthy feeling at ~210lb, and i know my cardiovascular health is markedly bettter in that range. Also, my midsection has lost all defintion, and has begun bloating like crazy during my heavier bulk eating; absolute aesthetics killer. So, i am beginning a "cut" (Cut: a period of decreased calorie consumption in the pursuit of loss of fat and retention of muscle. The opposite of a "Bulk Phase"- a period of consuming calories in excess of the basal metabolic rate, in an attempt to gain skeletal muscle, and, ideally, minimize fat gain.) It is essentially impossible to lose a significant amount of fat without a consistent caloric deficit, much like it is essentially impossible to gain a significant amount of weight without a consistent caloric surplus. A phase can be anywhere from 4-16 weeks, though i usually keep mine about 6-8.
For most of December and January, i was doing a "Bulk" phase, and went from about 215 to 230. I believe probably 10 of those 15lbs was muscle gain, and 5 was fat, which is a pretty decent ratio. During the bulk, i was eating around 3500-4000 calories per day, and aiming for ~250g of protein. I will be reducing that pretty substantially to 2700 calories per day during my cut, while attempting to still stay ~250g/protein day. (These numbers are not something you should be doing unless you have the same stats as me all around. Muscle mass and height play a huge role in determining intake). My strength went up a little during the bulk, but not as much as i would've liked. I will keep attempting to lift relatively heavy during the cut, but it is rare to make significant strength gains on a cut. I will have more strength-related goals once the next bulk phase begins.
I am hoping a little loss in weight will help my cardio: these days i'm struggling to run a half mile in 4 minutes. I doubt i could run much more than a mile at any pace beyond a walk. I want to be able to jog a gentle 8 minute mile relatively easily.
Random Physical Health Advice:
-#1 advice: "Diet" is not a temporary thing any more than a sleep schedule is. You are on a diet until the day you die (or maybe a couple weeks before, if you are unlucky enough to starve to death).
-#2: Just because you have never enjoyed exercise before doesnt mean that you never will
-#3: Everyone should learn to be intuitively aware of their blood sugar levels, even if they aren't diabetic. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is an incredibly common cause of anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Pay attention to how you feel after you haven't eaten in too long, not in the stomach, but in the rest of the body and mind.
-You might be surprised how great you could feel if you lived healthily. The human body can tolerate an enormous amount of punishment. It can also do miraculous things when you live in harmony with it, rather than (metaphorically) forcing a gas engine to keep chugging along on diesel fuel.
-Consistency is key. Make small changes that you can actually stick to, rather than ambitious, grandiose plans for perfection.
-Increased skeletal muscle mass increases your basal metabolic rate. (Basal Metabolic Rate: The rate at which your body burns calories at rest. Often defined in calories per day) Therefore, the more muscle you have, the more food you can eat without gaining fat. Dont fall for the myth that you need to survive on nothing but salad as a physically fit person; there is plenty of room for pizza, burgers, pasta, and cake in a healthy diet.
-A very small amount of over-indulging can add up to quite a lot of weight over time. Counting calories sounds laborious, but it is nearly impossible to be fully aware of your intake without doing so. Counting calories should not take more than 5 minutes per meal, and can quickly become as quick as 1 minute per meal, with experience.
-Unless circumstances are dire, change one variable at a time, whether it relates to diet, or sleep. If you change your meds at the same time as you change your diet, you'll never know what to attribute certain effects to.
-"Lean mass" is defined as everything that is not fat. This includes bloat/water weight. Don't forget this when interpreting academic reports. Don't equate "lean mass" to "muscle".
-Diet is unique and personalized. Don't copy peoples' routines and expect to get the exact same results, find what works best for you through trial and error.
-The body is ever changing, a million chaotic variables all in a system together: though consitent systems are good, what works for you one day may not work another. Learn to tune into the frequency of what your body needs and not what your brain wants. It is very valuable to be able to care for your body in unforeseen circumstances.
-Fruit can have good nutrients, but it's also loaded with sugar. And, despite it seeming counterintuitive, the type of sugar it is, fructose, is actually one of the most highly damaging sugars. Most vegetables, on the other hand, have almost no downsides (with reasonable consumption)
I will eventually include more details, including my lifting split/details, and some of my nutrition/macros, and maybe some pictures to track physique progress, if it seems appropriate
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